Current address printing systems are primarily used by direct mail processors (“direct mailers”) to print addresses or other information on mail pieces. Such systems feed mail pieces through the system in a flat or horizontal position, i.e., the front of the envelope is facing upward. In order to print on the mail piece, printers are also placed in a horizontal position, i.e., with the print head facing downward or upward.
Such horizontal-feed address print systems have several limitations. For example, they are slow: they can process only approximately 18,000–22,000 mail pieces per hour. In addition, because the mail pieces are fed in a horizontal position, these systems cannot be combined or used with conventional mail processing or sorting systems, which feed and process mail pieces. Further, mail pieces are fed from a stack of mail pieces which are stacked one on top of each other, with the bottom mail piece being taken from the stack and fed into the system. If the feed stack is too high, there is too much weight on the bottom mail piece and it will not be fed properly. As a result, the stacks must be kept relatively small (about 12 to 18 inches in height) and must be replenished frequently by an operator to keep the system running. Also, there is a height constraint on how high the stack can be, i.e., the top of the stack can only be as high as an operator's shoulder height, otherwise it will be difficult or impractical for the operator to replenish the stack. Accordingly, 2–3 operators are usually required to keep such systems operating at their most efficient levels.
Also, because current address printing systems cannot be combined with conventional mail processing or sorting systems, verification or sort functions are not efficiently performed on the mail pieces after they are printed. Accordingly, extra processing steps are required when using current horizontal feed type printing systems because the printed pieces must be brought to a conventional processing or sorting system which can then verify and sort the mail pieces or perform additional operations needed that meet mail preparation requirements of the postal service.
A need exists, therefore, for a system that can print addresses or other information on vertically fed or processed mail pieces and that can verify qualities of the mail pieces. Additionally, there is a need for a system that can reduce the steps needed in printing, verifying and then sorting mail pieces and that can print mail pieces at faster speeds. A need also exists for a system that can reclassify mail from non-machineable to machineable mail and that can perform several system functions in-line, e.g., printing, verifying printed material, verifying postal requirements, sorting/tagging and sweeping into postal trays.